The Exchange area stands to lose the solid Victorian era building constructed of bluestone and brick, with a modern frontage, standing next door to the listed Speight’s Shamrock Building (1912-1913), opposite the listed Crown Hotel (1890). Significantly, the proposed site development at 180 Rattray Street will also destroy one of Dunedin’s outstanding nineteenth century service alleys.

The former P. Hayman & Co. Building (1872) under threat of demolition is located in the district plan listed North Princes Street / Moray Place / Exchange Townscape Precinct (TH03). The building, designed by architect David Ross, is not individually listed for protection in the district plan (Schedule 25.1); nor is it registered by New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

The Dunedin City Council has recently granted demolition consent for the N. & E.S. Paterson Building (date?) and the Barron Building (1875) in Rattray Street.
[ODT link]

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180 Rattray Street, Dunedin
Resource consent is sought to demolish the existing building on site; and to use the empty site for stand alone rental car parking.

The resource consent application from Paterson Pitts, on behalf of building owner Lincoln Darling, says: “Although it was built before 1900 and had bluestone foundations and ground floor, the modernisation of the building had destroyed the original facade to the point it no longer had any heritage significance.”

The application acknowledged the site might be an archaeological site in terms of the Historic Places Act and, if so, an authority might be required.

Closing Date for Submissions: Wednesday 21 September 2011 at 5pm.
Read the application at the DCC website.

### ODT Online Thu, 25 Aug 2011Application to demolish building
By Debbie Porteous
Consent is being sought to demolish the former Furniture Court Building in Rattray St, Dunedin, and use the site as a car park. The resource consent application from Paterson Pitts, on behalf of building owner Lincoln Darling, states Mr Darling had been unable to attract any tenants after Furniture Court moved to another location.Read more

Oh well that’s okay then, just ask a few people if they want to lease it, if not then knock it down. Doesen’t say much for his ability as an estate agent.

Facade beyond heritage significance – the Standard Building facade [Princes St] was altered to severely diminish its significance yet it’s being brought back to significance with a little amount of money.

The Dunedin Heritage Fund could be approached.

The area is dark and gloomy – well, once you have achieved your objective of destroying the Barron Building then the street will be flooded with light and make the building more attractive to tenants.

If Rattray St is so cold and desolate then a new owner of the building could provide vision and vibrancy to the street, and Mr Darling should attempt to sell the building instead of demolishing.

If this one goes then that puts pressure on the neighbouring buildings.

What is historic heritage? What is cultural heritage? What is company history? What is social history? What is the history of Rattray Street? What is nineteenth century colonial heritage? What is twentieth century heritage? What is Maori heritage? What is archaeological significance? What is heritage significance?

Many questions later for 180 Rattray Street… What is a heritage impact assessment (HIA)?

Hayman, P., and Co. (members of the firm of Hayman and Co., of 3 Coleman Street, London, E.C., partners), Merchants, Importers of Watches, Jewellery, Fancy Goods, Tobacco and Cigars, Cutlery, and Crockery, Rattray Street, Dunedin (head office for New Zealand). Telephone, 143. P.O. Box, 226. Bankers, Bank of New South Wales. Manager for New Zealand, Mr. Max Hayman. Branches: Lichfield Street, Christ church (Mr. A. Fairburn, local manager); Victoria Street, Wellington (Mr. J. Lachmann, local manager); and at Customs Street, Auckland (Mr. L. Benjamin, local manager). London house, Hayman and Co., 3 Coleman Street, E.C. This old and successful business was established in Birmingham, as Hayman and Co., and in Melbourne, as P. Hayman and Co., in the year 1850 by Philip and Louis Hayman, the latter taking charge of the buying and shipping of the goods in England, and the former acting as resident partner in the Victorian capital.

After ten prosperous years in Melbourne the New Zealand branch was decided upon. This was at the time of the gold “rush” to the early Otago diggings, and the New Zealand firm commenced business in 1861, under the style of P. Hayman and Co.; the two founders died some years ago, and shortly after Mr. Philip Hayman’s death the Melbourne house was closed. The business has since been carried on by the nephews of the original partners now residing in London, to which the head quarters of the firm were transferred in 1884.

The New Zealand branch, at its commencement, was situated in small premises in High Street. The business, however, developed so rapidly that more commodious quarters were imperatively demanded.

A portion of the fine warehouse now occupied as the residence of the firm in Rattray Street, was shortly afterwards erected on a convenient section of land 166 feet in depth. The building had at first only forty-two feet frontage, but extended the full distance back, and for several years this served all the purposes of the business. In 1875 the premises were considerably enlarged; the warehouse now has about eighty feet frontage and extends back 166 feet. It is a two storey brick structure and is connected by a covered bridge with a large brick building at the back of the main warehouse.

There are two spacious entrances from Rattray Street, both having folding doors; that on the right entering the general offices, while the other opens into the warehouse. Immediately on the right of the first named entrance, is the jewellery strong room of the firm, built in solid concrete, the walls, floor and ceiling being constructed of fire proof material; the windows are furnished with iron shutters, and the doors are of solid iron. Within, a most valuable stock of watches and jewellery is kept. Several massive safes being utilised for storing the enormous variety held by Messrs. Hayman and Co. Behind the jewellery strong room are the general offices, which are handsome and well furnished.

The floor above this part of the premises is used for the storage of Messrs. Hayman and Co.’s bonded stock, which is very extensive. Two thirds of the ground floor of the main warehouse are used for various departments of the business. First are tobacconists’ goods, including cigars, cigarettes and tobacco itself in many qualities, and various brands, besides pipes in endless profusion; and all classes of goods required by traders in this line. Behind this section are Sheffield goods embracing cutlery in marvellous styles, in handsome cases and boxes as well as in neat packets. Further back is the electroplated ware, some very large show cases being brought into requisition to display the handsome assortment of this choice stock.

On the opposite side of this large apartment is a very important branch of Messrs. Hayman and Co.’s trade—the stationery department. Here are kept on hand immense stocks of ledgers, journals, cash and other books required by business firms generally, and every description of stationery goods is held, the firm having special facilities for supplying all lines of the best quality and at the lowest possible price. More to the front are the optical goods, which include sight testing apparatus, frames in gold, silver, and steel, various lenses—microscope, telescope, and opera glasses—and numerous other lines which cannot be particularised. The centre of this part of the warehouse contains a large ornamental stand with pillars and canopy for displaying tobaccos.

Ascending by a spacious and handsome staircase to the first floor, the visitor reaches the patent medicine and drug department, where remedies for “all the ills that flesh is heir to” are kept carefully put up in boxes, [page 348] bottles, packets, and well labelled with full instructions for use. Not far from this section, is a department devoted to clocks, which appear in marble, brass, nickel, and other material for presentation or ornamental purposes, and also the simple and useful clocks, for kitchen, for drawing room, for dining and for bed room. These goods are interspersed with handsome bronze figures and other ornaments of divers designs. Toys next claim the attention of the visitor, the ingenuity of experts in many parts of the world having been laid under tribute to supply a multitude of devices to amuse the young, and interest and attract their parents and friends; fancy goods also of all kinds are contained in this department. The musical instrument department is also on this flat. Not merely pianos and organs from England, America and the Continent are on view here, but every kind of instrument, and all accessories for repairing, tuning, and maintaing them are stocked. Toilet goods, brushware and an endless variety of soaps form another division of Messrs. Hayman’s business, a large and varied stock of general perfumery being stored in this branch of the establishment.

Passing through and over the bridge to the first floor of the back building, the visitor finds endless styles of crockery ware, glass ware, lamp ware all displayed on counters and shelves ranged along the full length of the large room. There are also several show cases where saddlery and many other goods are displayed. Cricket, tennis, golf, and other similar goods are kept in endless variety, and also general household brushware. Below again is the bulk store, where crates and cases of free and duty paid goods await orders for shipment to customers in any part of the Colony.

The total floorage space in this very complete establishment is over 25,000 square feet.

Messrs. Hayman and Co. employ thirty hands in connection with their head quarters in Dunedin, together with the Christchurch branch, besides three travellers who visit their customers in the various towns and settlements of the South Island. A like number are engaged at each of their branches in Auckland and Wellington, so that about 100 persons are engaged by the firm in New Zealand. Complete stocks are maintained in these cities, so that customers may rely on their requirements being promptly supplied. Among Messrs. Hayman and Co.’s sole agencies in the colony may be mentioned: Kap’s special model pianos, “Mazawattee Tea,” Bryant and May’s matches, Cleaver’s soap and toilet goods, and “Waterbury” watches. Mr. Max Hayman, the New Zealand manager of this important firm, has been resident in Dunedin since 1870, and succeeded his brother, Mr. Lachmann Hayman, as manager, on that gentleman’s departure from the colony in 1874.
[Cyclopedia Link supplied by David Murray]

No need to replace the 20th century facade – it’s a very good one and doesn’t diminish the heritage value of the building in any way. One of the things that makes this building so exciiting is the way it tells a story across many eras. Celebrate that – don’t obscure it. Having said this I think the Standard Building reinstatement is great – that facade was so obviously a bowdlerised one.

I was disappointed to see that the otherwise very fine NMA refurb is a bit spoilt by some sort of cornice/parapet addition that is in-keeping with neither the original 1882 design nor the 1940 facelift, and isn’t successful in reinterpreting the past or improving the aesthetic of the building. Otherwise it’s looking vastly better.

Resource Consent Number: LUC-2011-303
Applicant: JAL Darling
Site Address: 180 Rattray Street, Dunedin
Description of Proposal: Demolish existing building and then use the site as a stand alone rental carpark

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Name: Elizabeth Jane Kerr
Date:1 September 2011

I oppose this application.
This submission relates to the application as a whole.

My reasons for this submission:
The applicant has not commissioned a full Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) from a suitably qualified heritage professional(s) recognised nationally in their field(s), to support the proposal.

No Archaeological Assessment has been commissioned.

The application therefore lacks detailed technical information and professional assessment of the impact(s) the proposal is likely to have on historic heritage and the North Princes Street/Moray Place/Exchange Townscape Precinct (TH03).

The Structural Engineers Report (13 July 2011) received from CPG, states:
• “Generally, the building has been well maintained” (page3);
• “The building has weather tightness issues and thus some of the structure has been affected by water ingress over time.” (page 3);
• “The current condition of the building is not considered dangerous as defined by the New Zealand Building Act 2004” (page 3);
• “The only evidence of any seismic strengthening being completed on the building is an attempt to tie the floor into the brick walls in some areas” (page 2);
• “the building is considered potentially earthquake prone” (page 2);
• “The building in its current condition would perform poorly in a moderate earthquake” (page 2); and
• “The neighbouring building and the un-retained slope at the rear o the site pose an inherent risk to the 180 Rattray Street site.” (page 4)

With a view to seismic retrofit CPG has listed the work potentially required to bring the building up to 34%, 67% (or 100%) of the new building standard (NBS). (pages 3-4)

In their disclaimer CPG say: “The Report and assessment therein are based on a visual and non-intrusive walk-around inspection of the Building… Please note this assessment and Report is based on limited inspections. Our report is therefore limited to observable condition and does not include full quantitative assessment which involves further testing and destructive inspection.” (page 4)

The applicant has not commissioned a full quantitative assessment from consulting engineers CPG.

The images provided in the application to show the proposed parking area, and the bluestone walling to be retained, are poorly rendered and lack three-dimensional explanation of the intended outcome. There are no elevations, sections, or perspective drawings linked to the provisional A3-size site plan, ‘Proposed Car Parking 180 Rattray Street’, drawn by A Hosken (June 2011; Job No. 13442).

A built scale model supported by accurate digital and or hand-drawn renderings would clarify, amongst other things, the effects of detail, scale, bulk and location, material, texture, and landscaping for the subject site, and the townscape precinct.

At another recently developed parking area to High Street, associated with the Southern Cross Scenic Hotel, bluestone remnants were mechanically ‘nudged over’ during work at the site, contrary to the conditions of the Archaeological Authority obtained. It would be wholly unsatisfactory if something similar occurred at 180 Rattray Street – the lack of care with the images supplied to date carries an inference that something might.

It might be more appropriate to weather seal, strengthen and retain the existing building(s) and adapt it for new use, which could include parking within the space of the ground floor.

In my opinion, there is insufficient technical information provided within the application of a quality that allows the independent Hearing Committee to properly identify and assess the effects of the development proposal (stand alone rental carpark)

– with respect to the subject site, Rattray Street, and the surrounding townscape precinct; and

– in relation to sustainability principles, adaptive reuse, conservation economics, and prevailing thought on urban design and spatial planning for Dunedin City

in order to proceed safely to a decision of whether to grant or decline the resource consent application.

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The decision I wish the Council to make: Decline the application in its entirety.

Closing Date for Submissions: Wednesday 21 September 2011 at 5pm.
Read the application at the DCC website.

LUC-2011-303
The resource consent application for 180 Rattray Street, Dunedin, has been placed on hold, submitters were notified by Dunedin City Council in a letter received today. An accompanying letter from the solicitor for the applicant explained that alternative options for the subject site would be investigated.

From the solicitor’s letter, dated 30.9.11, addressed to Dunedin City Council (Attention: Karen Bain):

RESOURCE CONSENT LUC-2011-303 — 180 RATTRAY STREET, DUNEDIN

We act for the applicant.

We are instructed to request that the application be placed “on hold”. Our client has seen and considered the submissions provided under cover of your letter dated 22 September 2011 and wishes now to investigate other options for the site before pursuing the application further. This is, in fact, in accordance with what many of the submitters want.

We are uncertain at this time how long investigations will require. We suggest that we report to the Council by the end of January 2012 as to whether the application is to proceed either as it currently is, some modified basis within the scope of the present proposal, or not at all.

I would just like to thank you for taking the time and interest in my building on Rattray Street. I do need some publicity and hereby enlist your help to achieve a mutually acceptable solution to a current lost leader.

I would love you to spare some time to meet up and discuss your commercial solutions or thoughts. I believe you are probably genuine.

Many thanks for your time and I look forward to meeting up prior to the digger.

Kind Regards,

(signed) Lincoln Darling

[received 6.10.11, prior to Council letter accompanied by letter from solicitor Phil Page]

Further to Mr Darling’s kind letter, see my comment posted today at another thread:

### ODT Online Wed, 8 Jan 2014Work on brewery near end
By Debbie Porteous
The redeveloped Speight’s Brewery in Dunedin is expected to be officially opened in late February, as the last work is completed. Seismic strengthening work was still being completed on some of the buildings.Read more

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180 Rattray Street, the former Hayman’s department store building, was purchased by Lion Nathan last year, saving it from demolition to form a stand alone open car park, a plan promoted by the former owner and property investor Lincoln Darling. Mr Darling and Earl Hagaman (Scenic Circle) are responsible for this week’s demolition of the 138-year-old Barrons Building, and the N & ES Paterson Building, for more car parking.

“”I can confirm that Lion has absolutely no plans for 180 Rattray St. We purchased the site about nine months ago as we needed continual access via this land as part of the redevelopment at Speight’s.” Neither of the two buildings on the site was occupied.” (ODT)